Electric toaster



April 2, 1940. w. M'. ANDERSQN ELECTRIC ToAsTER `Filed oct. 18. 19:57

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Inamo William M ndelwn Lfar/vay .April 2 1940 w. M. ANDERsoN 2,195,637

ELECTRIC T'OASTER 4 Sisets-Sheet 3 WN N\ m. MN. NN @N April 2, 1940. w. M. ANDERSON ELECTRIC TOAVSTER Filed 0st. 18. 1937 April 2, 1940. w. M. ANDERSON ELEc'nuc "roAsTEn Filed Oct. 18. 1937 4,SheetsSheetA v INPH or Willian? A7. ,41209/25012 Patented Apr. 2,- 1940 vUNITED STATES ELECTRIC ToAsTEn.

William M. Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to F. J. Kerner and himself, both of Minneapolis, Minn., a copartnership Application October 18, 1937, Serial No. 169,637

24 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to that type of cooking apparatus generally designated as a toaster, and more particularly relates to toasters of the type employed for the toasting of sheet material such as bread slices, crackers, or the like.

More specifically stated, the invention relates particul-arly to a type of automatic toaster in which bread slices, crackers, or. similar sheet material may be fed in a more or less continuous stream through a heated oven so that the toasting action may -be carried out in a substantially continuous manner .by'placing bread slices in position on edge one behind the other so that there will be a substantially continuous inieed of material and a substantially continuous outieed or dischargeof toasted material.

Among the important objects of the invention is a provision of an improved type of feed mech- `anism that is adapted for continuous operation and which will maintain a substantially continuous infeed and outfeed of material lthrough the toaster oven. y

Another important object of the invention is a provision of a feed mechanism of the general character above :designated which is inexpensive to produce, highly dependable in service, and which may be made to maintain a very slow ow of material through the toasting oven with a minimum of speed reducing gearing when driven from a relatively high speed prime mover such as a suitable electric motor.

Another important object ofthe invention is a provision of a feed mechanism of the continuous operating type which will automatically move materials of diierent thicknesses through the oven at diierent speeds.

Another highly important object of the invention is theprovision in a toaster of the general character described and which includes a is a provision in a toaster of the type designated of a novel baille arrangement for reducing the amount of heat applied to certain types of material such as crackers which require and will stand less heat than other classes lof sheet materi`a1 such as 'bread slices.

'I'he above noted and numerous other highly important objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following specifications and claims.

Generally stated, the invention consists in novel devices, combination of devices, and arranging of parts hereinafter described and dened. v

In the accompanying drawings, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and looking downwardly;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View corresponding to Fig. 1 byshowing a slightly different position of the feed mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of` a-baiile device that is adapted to be employed in the toaster oven to reduce the rate of` delivery of heat to material passing through the oven;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. similar to Fig, 1 but further illustrating the baille device of Fig. operatively positioned within the toaster; and

Fig. l'I is a transverse vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but taken on the irregular line 'I-l of Fig. 6.

'I'he main body of the toaster is made up of two main parts to Wit; an elongated pressed metal base 8; and a shell or casing 9 that Vis mounted on the base 8. 'I'he open bottom of the base 8 rests on and is normally closed by a mounting plate IIl that is provided with suitable feet II.

The shell or casing 9 is made up of oppositely disposed like sections I2 that are mounted upon the top of the base 8 by means of integrally formed anchor lugs I3 that .are passed through suitable apertures in the base 8 and are bent over beneath the top of the base. These shell sections I 2 are laterally spaced vat their opposite end portions to provide aligned inlet and outlet openings I4 and I5, respectively. Attheir intermediate top portions, the shell Asections I2 are provided with inwardly turned bridge sections I6,

Y which together bridge the space between the sections' I2 and may be assumed to be suitably tied together -by welding or the like. As will hereinafter be seen,.the so called bridge sections I6 l2v form the top of the toaster oven and Aforthe purpose of suitably ventilating the toaster ovenI the said bridge sections I8 are provided with l suitable vent apertures i1,

The base 8 isformed between the inlet and outlet openings Il and I8 respectively with a channel shaped way. which way is cut away at its intermediate portion to form a longitudinal slot I8 that extends substantially from end to end thereof, and effectively dividesV the way into laterally spaced flanged guide rails 28.

Disposed within each of the opposite sections I2 is a horizontal U shaped partition wall forming member 2l. These partition forming members 2| extend vertically between the base 8 and the upper marginal .portions of the casing sections I2 and are held in inturned edges ,22 on said opposed casing'sections I2. The outer end portion of the 'U shaped partition forming members 2I are disposed immediately adjacent the flanged guide rails 28 of the way I8 and afford narrow inlet and outlet passageways Ila and I 8a bf the partition members 2|.

v disposed within opposed sides of the oven cham-` For heating the oven chamber 28, there is provided suitable electrical heating elements 2l. 'Ihese heating elements 28 are alike and are each ber 28 between the transverse wall portions 2Ia of an opposedA U shaped forming member 2I. Each of these heating elements is in the na- 'ture of a spirally coiled resistance'wireA strung back and forth over suitable supporting insula tors 28Vand 21. The supporting insulators 28 and 21 are formed as part of or suitably secured to longitudinally extended support bars 28. lThese supporting bars 28 which are of suitable electrical insulating and heating resistance material,`

are slightly longer than the oven chamber 28 and extend through mutable apertures in the oven and forming walls 2Ia of the partition forming memf bers 2I so that each entire heatinguelement structure is vcarried by an opposite partition forming member 2|.

Preferably and as illustrated by the drawings, the opposed heating elements 28 Idiverge outwardly from the bottom toward the top so as to obtain uniform application of heat from bottom to top of material passing through the oven. In

this respect, it will be noted that the upper longitudinally extended element supporting bars 28 are spaced apart considerably further than the bars 28. Since the heat elements illustrated are of the type which 'generate and radiate heat uniformly from top to bottom, or substantially, and

since heat rises rapidly, the accumulative heat effect toward the upper portion of the toasting l oven would cause faster toasting of material near the top .of the toasting oven than near the lower portion thereof, were it not for the fact that the elements 25 are spaced progressively further apart from bottom to vtop. The intermediate,

laterally oil-set longitudinal wall portions of the partition member 2l vare disposedI closely adjacent the outer walls of the casing sections I2 and are preferably heat insulated from said casing walls by a suitable layer of Aasbestos or the like 24.

For feeding sheet like material such as vbread. slices, crackers and the like placed in the narrow inlet passage way Ila progressively through said inlet passage way Ila, the oven chamber 28, and

the narrow vertical outlet Ila, there is provided a novel feed mechanism immediately to be describedin detail.

Ibis novel feed mechanism includes a train like series of like rotary feed elements 28 each of which'are journaled below the way I8 transversely thereof. The series of rotary vfeed elements or devices 28 extend in a straight line longitudinally of the way I8 and is vertically aligned with the slot I8 in said way and all thereof are equally spaced from said way. The several rotary feed devices or elements 28 are each mounted fast on a' shortpin-like stub shaft 80. These stub shafts 88 eachproject throughl and -are journaled in a longitudinally extended support 8l, and mounted fast on the opposite end of eachthereof is a drive gearf82. The several drive gears 82 form partl of a long train of gears consisting thereof and intermediate idle gears 88 which latter are supported from the mounting member 8i through the medium of iixed journal As will be seen particularly by reference lto vFig. 4, the rotary feed elements 28 are spaced metrically opposed pairof radially projecting` relatively short feeddogs 81. The adjacent long and short feed dogs 88-and 81, respectively, are

. preferably spaced 90 apart. The long feed dogs 88 have a radial `measurement greater than they distance between the axis thereof and the supporting surface of the way I8, so that under rof 'tation they will alternately project through the way slot I8 and engage and impart step movement to relatively thick `sheet material such as the bread shoes y resting on the surface of the way and spanning the way slot I8. The short .v

feed dogs 8l, on the other hand, have a radial measurement less than the distance between the axis thereof and the supporting surface of the way so that under rotation they will remain below the surface of the way and be engaged only with thin sheet material, such as slabs of crackers or the like x that work through the slot I8 in said way. this arrangement, itv will be obvious. that thin sheet material suchl as the crackers :c which work through the way slot I8 will be engaged and moved alternately by the longl and short feed dogs 88 and 81 respectively, and will therefore, be moved at a comparatively high rate of speed, whereas, relatively thick sheet material such as the bread -slices y will be engaged and moved only by the long feed dogs 88 and will, therefore, be moved at a considerably reduced speed. The long and short feed dogs 88 and.81 of each rotary feed element 28 are bent over laterally in a like direction, and alternate of said rotary feed ele- (See particularly Figs. 6 and 1.) With ments 28 are reversely applied so 'that the feed I dogs 88 and 81 of alternate rotary feed elements laterally extend in opposite directions (see Figs. 2, 4, and 7) and the several of said rotary feed elements are rotatively positioned alike one with adapted to seat and to-.be retained against laterally sliding movement therefrom. Similarly, the short 'feed dogs 31 of alternate rotary feed elements, being projected in opposite directions,

form o ver all a relatively wide supporting structure for thin material.

For driving the train of gears 32 and 3'3 and their associated rotary feed elements 29, there is provided a suitable electric motor M having projecting from its rotor a worm drive shaft 38.

the other projected end of the shaft 40 is a small pinion gear 42 that meshes with a speed reducing.

spur gear 43. The spur gear 43 is mounted on a shaft ed that is, in turn, journaled in the bearing bracket 4l. Also. mounted on the shaft 46 concentric with the gear 43 is a small pinion gear 45 that meshes with an intermediate one of the gears 33 of the train of gears 32 and 33. With the gearing above described all of the rotary feed devices 29 will be rotated in. unison when *be motor M is in operation. y y

For automatically centering the slicesv of bread, crackers, or like sheet material, between opposite heating elements 25 during its passage through the toaster oven,- I provide the highly effective -but very simple mechanism presently to be described. Disposed'within opposite sides ofthe toaster oven, in opposed relation are like yieldingly pressedguide shoes 6 that are adapted to slidably, frictionally engage opposite sides of the sheet material of various thicknessesas it passed v through the oven, to support the latter in a vertical position laterally centered betweerithe heating elements 25. These opposed friction shoes t@ form the lower longitudinally extended'portions of U shaped brackets, the upright arms te of which are pivotally suspended on pivot rods i8 that extend longitudinally 'of' the toaster and through the transverse walls 2 la of the partition member 2l. -The upper end-of the upright arms il are intricately formed with laterally outwardly upset counter weights 69 which, under the action of gravity, over balance the upright armsl and guide shoes 46 and tend to move the latter toward one and another to the maximum extent permitted by engagement of the counter balances t9 with the heating element supporting bars 28, which, latter act as stops. As illustrated best in Fig. 3, the shoes 46 each diverge outwardly with respect to one and another from their intermediate portions toward their longitudinal end portions, so as to form betweenthem outwardly diverging inwardly converging entrance and outlet mouths 46a and 4Gb, respectively (see Fig. and a longitudinally intermediate throat 46c. Under normal minimum spacing of the yieldingly inwardly pressed shoes, the maximum width of the mouths 46a.' and 4Gb will be greater than the thickness of the thickest sheet of material to be passed through the toaster,` and the width of the throat 46c will preferably be of less mechanism moves a previously inserted slice of bread out of the inlet passage way Ilia and' intowidth, or at least not materially greater width,

than the thinnest sheet of material to be passed.`

through the toaster, so that sheet material of different thicknesses will -be permitted to en-ter between same 'and by outwardly camming action thereon will cause the same to yield outwardly.l

under continued feedingmovement. l

The circuits of the motor M and electric heating elements have not been shown, but it` may', nevertheless, be assumed that said elements and motor will be energized from suitable -the right with respect toF'ig. l.

source of power such as a. domestic power line.

Hence, to-set the toaster in operation, the heat elements will. be energized and' will vbecome heated to thereby set-the several elements of the fed' mechanism in motion. If relatively thick sheet material'suoh as a slice of bread is to bev toasted, thisslice of bread may be placed in the narrow vertical inlet passage |4a vwith its bottom edge' seatedon the way i8, as shown at the right in Fig. 1. Since it takes some time for the heating elements 25 to heatfthe' oven up to a desired toasting temperature, this operative positioning of the first slice-of bread in the inlet passage may alternative, the energization of the feed motor M and consequent operation of the feed mechanism may be delayeduntilfthe desired toasting temperature has been built up in the oven, in

which latter instancethe first slice of bread may be placed in operative position in the inlet passage wayimmediatelyafter or even before energization of the heating elements. l

Under. rotation of the-several rotary feed devices 29 which, will be in this instance, in a.

counterclockwise direction, as indicated by direction arrows in Fig-1, the long feed dogs 36 of the elements 2 9. whichunderlie the inserted slice of bread y will alternately engagethe bottom edge of the bread lslice and impart short steps of movement thereto in a direction from left toward The lcng feed dogs will, of course, raise the bread slices o if the surface of the way it during their respective periods of operation thereon and will then' drop thebread slice back 'on to the surface of the way where it will remain'in a stationary position until the next long feed dog projects above the supporting surfaces of the way 'and engages the same. Under this alternate -moving and pausing action from the inlet passage way Ma into and through the oven and outlet passageway 55a,

from which, outlet passage 15a, it is ultimately' discharged in a toasted condition, providing of course, that a proper balance is obtained between the rate vof heat delivery of the heating elements 25 and theoverall speed of feeding material through the toasting oven. In this respect, however, it may' be stated that the obtaining of desirably' slow over all rate of speed through the toasting oven from a relatively high speed electric motor .can be accomplished with minimum of speed reducing gearing when the mechanism described is employed. This is, .of

course, due t'o the fact that the rotary feed ele'- ments 20 operatively engage the bread slices for only short intervals during each complte Vrotation thereof and the balance of the time run Iidle and are completely inoperative on the material.

feed mechanism, bread slices'may be placed in the inlet passage way and made subject to action of the feed mechanism as rapidly as the feed -throu'gh the toasting oven and discharged successively from the outlet passage way Ia.

During the passage of the' toast through the narrow vertical inlet and outlet" passages |40, and I5a, respectively', the -walls of -saidjpassages will serve to support the bread slices in substantially vertical postions, but during the passage of\ the bread slices through the oven other means for holding the bread slice in a substantially vertical position and substantially equally spaced between the heating elements must be relied upon and in the mechanism described this important function is very effectively accomplished by means of the yieldingly pressed guide shoes 46 which come into engagement with the leading edges of bread slices while the rear edge or intermediate portions thereof are still within and subject to sup-l porting action of the walls of the inlet passage way. VThese shoes 46 maintain their supporting engagement with the bread slices until the leading portions thereof have passed well into the outlet passage ways lia and have become subject to supporting action of .the walls thereof. If the shoes 46 are subject to like inwardly exerting yielding pressure they will cooperatively guide the bread slices through the toasting oven in very accurately centered relation to the opposedv heating elements so that both sides of the upper portion of the bread slices, as wellas` the bottom portions thereof, will be subject to approximately the same degree of heat during their passage through the oven.

When a sheet of relatively thin material, such as a'large cracker or slab or crackers :c (see Figs. 6 and '7), is placed within the narrowinlet passage |4a such thin' sheet of material will drop through the slot I!!4 inthe way I6 and willV come to rest directly upon the feed dogsv36 and 31 of a plurality of underlying rotary feed .devices 29 and under rotation of the several rotary feed devices will be progressively moved through said inlet passage oven and outlet passage 15a at a rate of speed considerably accelerated with respect to the rate of movement imparted to thicker sheet material such as toast, which spans the way slot I9. Obviously, the reason for this accelerated feeding act-ion on thin sheet material. which works through the slot, is due to the fact that thin sheet material such as the crackers :c is always engaged by either the long feed dogs 36 or the short feed dogs 31 of the feed mechanism and is therefore, moved continuously -or substantially continuously thereby.' whereas,

thick sheet material such as the toast u is oper-- atively engaged only by the long feed dogs 36 and remains at rest between intervals of engagement by thelong feed dogs 36. Although this feeding movement of thin sheet material through the toaster will be substantially con' tinuous, it will nevertheless, be 'at an uneven rate of speed. That is to say, the material will bev alternately moved at accelerated and retarded rates of speed as it isalternately engaged by the long and short feed dogs 36 and 31, respectively. The amount of this speed fluctuation will vary directly in accordance with the relative differ-V ences in length between the long and short feed dogs. The automatically accelerated [overall rate of feed through thetoaster whenthe thin sheet material is placed therein, is highly important in that thin sheet material lrequires less time for toasting than does thicker sheet material.

Another action of the feed mechanism which is important in connection with both thick and thin material but particularly in connection with the latter is the intermittent vertical movementA imparted to the material during 4its passage through the toaster. If 'material is fed in a straight line through the toaster, it is apt to be unevenly. toasted as a result of uneven distribution of heat rays over the surface thereof, but when it is moved alternately up and down under alternate engagement with the feed dogs as in the present toaster, these unevenesses are largely ironed out and a uniformly toasted product is later obtained. During the passage of thin material lsuch as the slab of crackers :n throughthe the toaster, this materiall will be supported by the guide shoes 46 in laterally centered relation in respect to the opposed heating elements just the 'same as is thick material such as the 'slicevautomatically accelerated rate of feed through the oven. For accomplishing the further reduc" tiorr in applied heat during the toasting operation, I provide a baille device 6l which is'insertable into the oven for this purpose and removed when not needed. This baille device 56 comprises a pair lof laterally spaced opposedv baffle plates 6I that'are suitably perforated t0 allow just the required amount of heat rays to pass therethrough and become eifective'upon the surface of the very thin sheet 'material such-as.

crackers. These ballles '5I'. are connected together to form a unit by means of a wire frame.

This frame is made-up of inverted U shaped sections 62 that engage the front and rear opposite vertical edges of the opposite baille platesl 5| and bridge the spacetherebetween above the top thereof, longitudinally extended parallel wire bars 53 that 'are secured to the bottom horizon? tal edges of the opposing baille plates 6|, and diagonal braces 64. The frame Ielements 62, 66, and 54 are rigidly secured to the opposed baille plates 5I by means of welding or the 'Ihe baille Unit 5l i8 inserted into the toaster l asindicated in Figs. -6 andv'l and when in an operativeposition the ends 'of 'the horizontal bars 53 engage the end portions ofthe way-I6 and project slightly .beyond the ends of the way. The ends of the bars 56 thatare'normally adjacent the inlet passage opening I4 are tied together to form avhandle portion 66. As will bef' seen, by reference to Pigs. 6 and 7, theopposed baille plates 6I are provided with slotsy 66 through which the transversely inwardly curved lonsltudinally intermediate portions of the guide shoes 46 are adapted to work in order that they may serve their guide functions on the crackers during their passage through the toaster oven while the baille device is in its operative position. The yieldingv shoes 46 do, of course, readilyv yield under longitudinal inserting action of the baille element to permit positioning of the latter and thereafter, fall into operative position through the slots 56. In the device disclosed, the combined action of automatically accelerated rate of feed through thetoasting oven and the cutting downJ of the heat rays by the baille meinberpermits a desirable toasting of soda crackers with complete assurance that the same will not. be burned, and this without the necessity of reducing the current ow through the heating elements.

. disposed'belowsaid passage way and adapted to support and move material progressively through the toasting oven, said feed mechanism comprising a series of horizontally journaled feed devices arranged in spaced relation longitudinally of the oven passage for progressively supportably engaging the bottom edge of sheet material and imparting feeding movement thereto, and means for imparting common uni-directional rotary movements to said rotary feed devices, said rotary feed devices each including at least one long radius feed dog and spaced at least 90 therefrom at least one relatively short radius feed dog, said several rotary feed devices being rotatively positioned alike.

2. 'Ihe structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a diametrically opposed pair of said long radius feed dogs and a diametricallyl opposed pair of short radius feed dogs intermediate said long radius feed dogs.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the said rotary feed devices including circumferentially spaced portions of relatively great and relatively small radial measurement are adapted l to engage alternately sheetl material, whereby the sheet material will be fed alternately at relatively high and relatively low speed in a horizontal direction and will be alternately raised and lowered during its passage through the oven.

4. In an automatic electric toaster, a toasting oven having a verticalpassage way therethrough, a narrow longitudinal slot .in the bottom of said passage way, and. feed mechanism for moving sheet like material through said passage, said feed mechanism including a train of like rotary elements horizontally journaled below the slotted bottom of said passage and each working radially in said slot for direct peripheral engagement with the bottom edge of sheet material, said train of rotary drive elements being connected together for common rotary movements by driving connections located below the bottom of the ov en passage and in laterally offset relation with respect to the slot in the bottom of Vsaid passage.

5. In an automatic electric toaster, a toasting oven having a narrow vertical passage therethrough, a way forming the bottom of said passage and adapted to support sheet-like material on edge and having a longitudinal slot extended substantially from end to end thereof, and feed l mechanism for moving sheet-like material progressively through said passage way, said feed mechanism comprising a series of like rotary elements horizontally journaled below said way and' having circumferentially spaced radially projecting portions adapted under rotation to alternately .project through the slot in said way and impart steps of movement to the sheet-like material. v

6. In an automatic electric toaster, a toasting oven having a vertical passage therethrough, a narrow longitudinal slot in the bottom of said passage extending substantially from end to end thereof, and feed mechanism for moving sheetlike material progressively through said passage, said feed mechanism comprising a sexies of like rotary feed devices horizontally journaled below the bottom of said passage in longitudinally spaced relation and alignment with the slot in ing feed dogs the radii of which is greater than the distance between the axis of said rotary feed devices and the bottom of the narrow passage so that, under rotation,they will alternately project through the slot in the said passage, and intermediate said circumferentially spaced feed dogs, said feed devices having circumferentially spaced portions, the radii of which are less than the distance between the axis thereof and the bottom of said passage way, said feed dogs being so spaced circumferentially that only one thereof at a time will project through the passage slot.

7. In an automatic electric toaster, a toasting oven having a vertical passage therethrough, a narrow longitudinal slot in the bottom of said passage extending substantially from end to end thereof, and feed mechanism for moving sheetlike material progressively through said passage, said feed mechanism comprising a series of like rotary feed devices horizontally journaled below the bottom of said passage i n longitudinally spaced relation and alignment with the slot in said passage each of saidrotary feed devices having circumferentially spaced radially projecting feed dogs the radii of which is greater than the vices and the bottom of the narrow passage so that, under rotation,they will alternatly project through the slot in the said passage, and intermediate said circumferentially spaced feed dogs, said feed devices having circumferentially spaced .distance between the axis of said rotary feedV deportions, the radii of which are less than the distance between the axis thereof and the bottom of said passage way, said projecting dogs being so spaced apart circumferentially that under continuous rotation of said rotary feed devices, there will be intervals between the time one of said feed dogs passes below the bottom of passage and the time the next thereof projects above the bottom of the passage.

8. In an automatic electric toaster, a toasting oven having a vertical passage therethrough, a narrow longitudinal slot in the bottom of said passage, and feed mechanism for moving sheetlike material through said passage, said feed mechanism including a train of like rotary elements horizontally journaled below the slotted bottom of said passage in alignment with said slot, at least one feed dog radially projecting `from each of said rotary feed elements and having a radius greater than the distance between the axis and the slottedv bottom of the passage thereof.

9. In an electric toaster, a longitudinally ex-A feed devices having circumferentially extended portions with a radius less than the distance between the axis thereof and the supporting surface of the said way, the construction and arrangement being such that throughout part of each rotation of each of said fed devices, a projecting feed dog will extend through the way slot and engage and'impart movement of bread slices and throughout other parts of the complete rotation the bread slices will be disengaged by the feed mechanism and -remainseated on said way, and means for imparting uni-directional rotary movement to the feed devices.

10. The structure defined in claim 9 in which there are a plurality of said radially projecting feed dogs projecting from the` rotary feed device in circumferentially spaced relation and in whichA circumferentially spaced feed dogs are so spaced apart circumferentially that there willbe intervals during eachcomplete rotation that'V there will be no part of the feed device projectingV through the slot in theway for engagement with material.

11. Inan electric toastera longitudinally extended way adapted to support relatively thick.

sheet-like material on edge," a longitudinal slot extending longitudinally through the approxi-1 mate transverse center thereby, and feed mech'-- anism including at least one rotary feed device' .journaled below said `way transversely thereof and in vertical alignment with said slot, said rotary feed device incorporating atleast one short feed dog -having a radius less than the distance between -the axis thereof and the'supporting sur- 'face of said way for engagement with thin sheet material workingthrough said slot, said rotary" feed device also incorporating, in circumferentially spaced relation to4 said-short feed dos, a

relatively long feed dog having a'radius greater than the distance between the axis thereof and .the supporting surface of "said way for `engagement'with relatively thick sheet material supported on the surface 'of said way and with thin sheet material that works through said slotand is also engaged by said short feed dog; whereby thin' sheets of material working through saidway slot will bemoved at Ahigher speed than thicker sheet material supported on said way.

12. In .an electric toaster, a longitudinally extended way to support relatively thick sheet material on edge, a longitudinal slot in said, way

adapted to receive thin sheet material, and feed mechanism including at least one rotary feed device journaled below'saidway transversely thereof and in vertical alignment'with said slot.

said' rotary feed device incorporating circumferentially spaced short feeddogs each having 8f radius ls than the distance between the axis thereof and the supporting surface of said way for engagement with thin sheet material working through-said slot; said rotary feed device alsoincorporating intermediate said short feed lugs and in circumferentially spaced relation Ato the latter relatively long. feed dogs eachhaving a radius greater than the `distance between the -axis lthereof and the supporting surface of the long and short feed,A dogs and moved at a relaway for engagement with relatively-thick sheet material supported. on the surface of said way and with thin sheet material that works through said slot, whereby thin sheet material working through'said slot `will be engaged alternately by tively great supported on the surface be engaged by said long feed dogs fore be moved at a slower ra speed and thicker sheet material.

13. The structure defined 1n daim 12 in whichsaid short and long feed dogs are spaced approximat'ely 90 apart.Y

14. The structure dennen 'in claimiz in further coinbination with means disposed on oppo-.`

site sides of said way' for supporting she'et ma' terial in a vertical position and forheatlng the same as it is moved progressively by said heating means under the action of the feed -means engageable with opposite sidesa direction opposite to the dire the sheet material.`

definedin claim 'l5 -in which vthejsaid opposed -ing sheets centered between the opposedheating said yielding means including opposed yieldingly.

Vferentthicknesses will .a toasting ovenhavin a said haine plates of said way will only and will there-' -withia 15. 'In an electric toaster, the combination with opposed laterally opposed heating means and adapted to engage the bottom edge of sheet material placed vertlcally thereon and move the same progressively through the space between said. opposed heating means, of opposed inwardly pressing yielding of the sheet material during its passage throughthe space between the opposed heating means `for supporting the sheet material in an upright position, said yielding means beingI independent'of the feed mechanism and having'opposed mate`Y rial engaging surfaces that diverge outwardly in tion of feed' of '16. The' structure yielding means are ..'gravity pressed toward one and another.

17. The structure defined in claim 1 5 in which spaced heating means, feeding*A -mechanism extending longitudinally. between said each said opposedA yielding means includes af yielding inwardly pressed longitudinally extended guide shoe slidably and yieldably engageable with an opposite side of said heating means.

, 18. In an .electric toaster, the combination with sheet material passing by opposed laterally spaced heating means, feedingI meehanismextending longitudinally between said'opposed heating ,means and adapted toengagethe bottom edge of sheet material placed Vvertically thereon and movethe same progressively through the space between said opposed heating means, of yielding means for maintainf of material OfdiHerentthicknesses laterallyineansduring the passage` of suchV material through the space between the heating means,

inwardly pressedguide shoes adapted to slidably engage opposite sides of sheet material during itsv passage between the heating means, the normal space between the guide shoesbeing less than the thicknessof the thinnestsheet material to be passed therebetween, each' ofsaid -shoes being formed with a sheet material engaging surfacethat diverges outwardly to,the direction of feed thereon-will spread the thickness of the material..

19. 'In an electriqtoaster, the'combinatlon with passage for admission of sheet material and' opposed heating means' disposed therein on opposite sides of 4said passage, of a unitary baille device including -a like .pair of `-'opposed mera-m spaced perforated mme plates insertable into and 'removable from the. oven through extending inaadirection opposite andmeansconnec'ting sai 1baille plates 'an inverted U in toaster, a -co lnbination of"V i unitary baille device including laterally spaced sage and beingunconnected except at their upper portions so that said passage will be unobstructed and means connecting said baille plates together at a point near -the top-of the oven passage,

whereby to form together with the bame plates an inverted U in cross section and handle elements projecting from said baille plates to a point outside of the toasting oven.

21. In an automatic toaster, a toasting oven having a narrow vertical passage extending longitudinally therethrough, heating means disposed within the oven on opposite sides of said passage, feed mechanism disposed below the oven passage for engaging the bottom edge of the sheet mate' rial and moving the same progressively through the oven, opposed inwardly yielding pressed guide shoes disposed within the oven on opposite sides of the transverse-center of said passage, said yieldingly pressed guide shoes being normally spaced lapart a distance less than the thickness of thethinnest sheet material to be passed through the oven and being shaped to form a passage therebetween that diverge outwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of feed, and a unitary baille device adapted for insertion into and removable from the toasting oven through said passage, said baille device including a pair of opposed baille plates adapted to be disposed within the oven adjacent opposite sides of the oven passage 'way so as to permit sheet material to pass therebetween, and said baille plates having openings therein for reception of said guide shoes and which permit said guide shoes to engage the material passed between the baille plates and maintain the same centered therebetween during its passage throughthe toasting oven.

-. 22. In an electric toaster, the combination with a toasting oven having a verticalpassage way therethrough, feed mechanism extending longitudinally of the oven passage. in laterally.

ing movement thereof throughthe oven, saidv yielding means including opposed yieldlngly. inwardly pressed guide shoes for slidably engaging opposite sides of sheet material during its passage through the oven, said shoes being formed adjacent their initially'engaged ends with cam surfaces that diverge laterally outwardly with ref spect to the line of feed and in a direction' oppo site to the direction offeed so as to form bc- .tween them an outwardly flaring inwardly4 converging .entrance mouth terminating in a neck.

23. In an electric toaster, the combination with opposed laterally spaced heating means, feed mechanism extending longitudinally of the spaced heating means in laterally centered relation with respect thereto and adapted to engage thebottom edge of vertically disposed sheet material and move the same progressively 'through the space between the opposed-heating means; of yielding means for maintaining sheets of material of different thicknesses vertically disposed and laterally centered between theopposed heating means during the passage of such material between the opposed heating means, said yielding means including opposed yieldingly inwardly pressed guide shoes adapted to slidably engage opposite sides oi the sheet material during its passage between the heating means, said shoes being formedadJacent their initially engaged ends with-cam surfaces that diverge laterally outwardly with respect'to the line of feedv in a direction opposite the direction of feed so as to form between them an inwardly converging entrance mouthterminating in a neck.

I 24. I an electric toaster, the combination with opposed laterally spaced heating means', feed mechanism extending longitudinally of thev means; of yielding means for maintaining sheets of material of different thicknesses vertically disposed and laterailycentered between the opposed heating means during the passage of suchl v material between the opposed heating means, said yielding 'means including opposed yieldingly inwardly pressed guide shoes adapted to slidably engage opposite.' sides of the sheet material dur- -ing its'passagebetween the heating means, said shoes being formed adjacent their initially engaged ends with cam surfaces that diverge laterally outwardly with respect to the line of :feed in a direction opposite the direction of feed so as to form' between them-an inwardly converging entrance mouth terminating. in a neck, vthe arrangement being such that under normal minimum spacing of the shoes, the maximum width of the mouth formed therebetween .will be greater than that of the thickest piece of -sheet material to be passed lthrough the oven, and the width of the neck fonned therebetween win be sumciently'less than that'of the thinnest piece of material contemplated .that material ofvarying thic will be permitted to enter between the opposed shoes, and by camming actiouthereon. will spread the shoes a distance according to the thickness of the material.

WILLIAM M. ANDERSON. 

